New tree at Prisma Health honors team members who have worked throughout COVID-19 pandemic
A new tree now stands at Prisma Health Midlands to honor all the team members that have been working tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — A new tree now stands at Prisma Health Midlands to honor all the team members that have been working tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It was dedicated on Wednesday.
“When you come, and you see this and you see this memorial, you’ll be uplifted. You’ll understand that what we’re doing is a celebration, not a memorial,” said Dr. Chuck Petit of Prisma Health.
The tree is a symbol of the tenacity, kindness and devoted care that Prisma Health members have shown since the beginning of the pandemic.
“We’re celebrating that your work has been recognized, and will be recognized in a 100 years from now when you walk by, and this tree is hopefully still alive and the stone will certainly be there. And people know what happened, what happened here, and how this community pulled together and did exactly what it needed to do,” said Petit.
It’s not just in honor of the doctors and nurses; but the administrators, volunteers, laboratory staff, and volunteers. All at Prisma who have helped during this pandemic.
“Whether they’re diagnosed with COVID or not, everyone is suffering these days through the pandemic and it takes a whole team to be sure we’re providing the best care that we possibly can,” said Bo Cofield, CEO of Prisma Health.
The tree is a Crepe Myrtle. There’s also a stone plaque next to it to remind staff what they’ve been through, and how they can move forward together in hope.
“The Crepe Myrtle doesn’t stand out in the forest as the tallest tree, the tree that everybody runs through the forest to see, it isn’t a sequoia. But it’s perfect for this occasion because if you check in any of these states that are suffering from hurricanes from time to time, they’ll tell you that one of the strongest trees to withstand any storm is a Crepe Myrtle,” said Petit. “It has an inscription on it, which I would hope that you would read and take to heart. It said ‘I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness, because it shows me the stars.’ You guys are stars in this sense.”
